In Israel, a centrist emerges as threat to Netanyahu

Associated Press

Published 1:06 pm, Thursday, November 3, 2016

JERUSALEM — Political newcomer Yair Lapid believes he has finally found a formula that will allow him to do something that has eluded Israeli politicians for nearly a decade: defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an election.

Just three years after Lapid gave up a successful media career for the rough-and-tumble of Israeli politics, his centrist Yesh Atid party has been surging in opinion polls — repeatedly coming out ahead of Netanyahu’s long-dominant Likud Party. Although elections are not scheduled until 2019, few Israeli governments last for their full terms.

Lapid attributed his recent success to hard work by his party’s lawmakers and the appeal of a moderate party in a country that has been pushed to extremes.

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“The concept of a center party, of people who are pragmatic and moderate and look for solutions, instead of sticking to extreme ideologies, is more and more appealing, at least in this country,” he said.

Netanyahu presides over a hard-line coalition that is dominated by nationalist allies of the West Bank settler movement. Now in his third consecutive term, Netanyahu remains in control as long as key partners maintain the coalition.

But he and his allies are under tremendous pressure from powerful groups in Israel that bitterly oppose the government — sustaining a siege atmosphere and sense of constant peril in government circles.

Among the contentious issues are policies that appear to be aimed at stifling dovish critics. Peace efforts with the Palestinians have been frozen for years, while settlement construction in occupied territories has steamed ahead — leading to repeated run-ins with the United States and other key allies.

At home, Netanyahu is heading into a stormy winter parliamentary session that will tackle a series of issues that each could threaten his coalition from within. The government faces a court-ordered Dec. 25 deadline to evacuate an illegal West Bank outpost — over the objections of key coalition partners — and a state watchdog agency is set to issue a potentially damaging report on the government’s handling of a 2014 war in the Gaza Strip.

But the most galvanizing issue for Netanyahu’s rivals is the sense that the country’s liberal democracy is under assault. An example of that is Netanyahu’s contentious plan to reform the state-run broadcast authority that critics say is aimed at increasing his control of local media.

A former author, columnist, news anchor and bank pitchman, Lapid burst onto the political scene in 2013, leading his newfound party to a surprisingly strong showing in elections.